Inmate transfer scandal heats up

A high-ranking corrections official resigned Friday morning, hours before he was to be fired.

David Tune, 51, administrator of the state's work release program, has been under investigation, along with other Corrections employees, for the "unfair and unethical" transfer of inmates.

Tune had been put on indefinite leave without pay while corrections investigators checked computer records to see if inmate files had been improperly altered or deleted to speed transfers between prisons. Officials are also concerned that the transfers may have been arranged for cash or other compensation. Story here.

Comments

It must be a REAL slow news day. And this is far from a scandal.

Inmate transfers are the worst kept secret in the world.

I suppose after McDonough leaves (which isn't soon enough) and he calls to ask a favor on behalf of one his beloved inmates, DC employees should be expected to say, "sorry, Jimmy - it's unethical - thank you for calling."

He may have been a good soldier, but he's a piss-poor administrator and has no clue what goes on his department and has an unrealistic view of how plans are executed in the real world (read: not in the military).

Personnel is policy. And personnel hasn't changed much since Crosby's days.

Instead of attacking long accepted practices (ethical or not), issue a rule, memo or whatever saying it is no longer acceptable. Don't change the rules (written or not) and then hang a 27 year employee.

That's why the DC culture will never change. It's still commonplace to hang someone out to dry when it's convenient and expedient to do so. They don't go to bat for their employees nor let them take risks for the betterment of the department.

Status quo reigns supreme.

[George]

This is NOT A SCANDAL!!!!!!

The Department of Corrections is filled with crackheads, and this is from someone who use to work there. This happened all the time and the new Secretary apparently didn't agree with the process, even though previous Secretaries of DOC did.

Moreover, David Tune NEVER took any money nor did he do anything wrong. He was not going to be fired but instead demoted and after working 30 years for the department, why bother staying with a crappy organization like DOC.

Very slow news day.

[George]

It's also important to note that unless the Department of Corrections gave David Tune his "firing letter" before Mr. Tune turned in his resignation, that the resignation holds precedent since it came first.

They can't just say that he was going to be fired the day before, blah, blah. He hadn't been fired when he turned in his resignation and thus, he is eligible for retirement benefits under State of Florida laws.

Nice try though by the DOC trying to cheat more of their hard working and fair employees from getting salaries they deserve and have earned.

Uh, guys, i think this would make it a scandal: Officials are also concerned that the transfers may have been arranged for cash or other compensation. Of course, a teenager was murdered by guards in a boot camp and many didn't think that was a scandal. Let's just make it plain "Do whatever you want in the corrections system."

Lobbying for change is frequently done for cash or other compensation, which is exactly what was done in this case.

Prisoners or their families paid well connected former DC employees to facilitate transfers.

Now, compare this to private corporations and even local governments who pay well-connected lobbyists and former legislators to make sure their special causes are included in any budgets or legislation.

It's absolutely no different. That they feign surprise and hang a good man out to dry tells me how naive and short-sighted they are.

[Old Timey]

Slow news my rear end. Are you people out of your minds. We have the Florida Department of Corrections with people who are taking orders from brokers outside that shuffle bodies around the state based on thousands of dollars in pay-offs and no one bats an eye!

Let me guess... no one got a kick back or something for this right.